Shirt collar



Oct. 7, 1952 J. w. LESS 2,612,644

SHIRT COLLAR Filed Oct. 27, 1949 Inventor JOSEPH W. LESS,

Patented Oct; 7, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlclz.---;. v

SHIRT COLLAR Joseph W.- Less, Clinton, Iowa Application October 27, 1949, Serial No. 123,905

This invention relates to shirt collars, and particularly to turndown collars of the type permanently attached to shirts.

Turndown shirt attached collars as nowmanufactured are usually provided with pointed wings which, for best appearanca'must be kept close to the shirt front when worn. Since the wings of such collars often have a tendency to curl or become otherwise displaced, it has become general practice to employ with such collars aseparate, mechanical collar pin or clasp which engages and positions the wings of the collar.

The present invention provides a shirt collar of the turndown type wherein the collar itself is so designed as" to maintain the collar wings in proper position, While the collar is being worn, without the aid of the usual collar pin or any other extraneous mechanical device. The invention further provides a turndown collar assembly which, though embodying integral means for properly positioning the wings of the collar when the collar is beingworn, is of simple construction and is entirely adapted to standard manufacturing procedures.

Inorder that'the invention may be understood in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a collar assembly made in accordance with the invention,.all parts of the assembly being unfolded to lie in a single plane;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the collar shown inFig. l, with parts thereof folded to; proper positions:.preparatory to wearing;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing parts of the collar in the position occupied when the collar is worn; and p I Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a collar made in accordance with the invention, further illustrating the positions of certain elements of the collar while being worn with a necktie.

Broadly, the present invention provides a collar assembly having the following features. The collar band terminates at each end in a pointed wing and is provided with a top edge which is substantially a straight line and a lower edge whichcurves upwardly from the points of the wings of the collar- This band has a continuous flap joined to the collar band along the lower edge thereof and is adapted to be folded upwardly,'about-the curved lower edge of the collar band as a fold line, to underlie the collar band. As

5 Claims. (01. 2-131) 2 will be explained in detail hereinafter, the flap when folded to aposition underlying the collar band, serves to tension the lower edge only of the collar band when the collar is being worn, thus maintaining the points of the collar wings in a position close to the shirt front.

Referring nowto- Fig. 1, which shows such a collar assembly in the position it. would occupy during pressing, it will be seen that the. collar band I is formed with a top edge 2 along which the collar band is joined to a neck band 3. The neck band 3 is provided at its ends with any. suitable separable fastener elements by which the neck band may be secured about the neck of the wearer. The upper edge 2 of the collar band is substantially a straight line over most of its length, but curves sharply into the neck band at each end, as shown at 4 and 5. The collar band i terminates at its ends in wings 6 and 'I', and has a lower edge 8 which curves upwardly from the tips 9 and I0 of the collar wings 6 and I.

The collar assembly also includes a flap II which joins the collar band I continuously along the lower edge 3 thereof. The flap II is formed with a lower edge I2, which preferably extends substantially parallel to the lower edge 8 of the collar band I.

In usual practice, the neck band 3 will be joined to or integral with the main body I3 of the shirt. When the assembly is to be worn, the collar band I is folded about its upper edge 2 as a fold line, and the flap I I is folded upward-.- ly, about the lower edge 8 of the collar bandl as a fold line, so that the neck band 3, the collar band I, and the flap I l occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. 2. From Fig. 2, it will be seen that, when the parts of the collarassembly are folded as just described, the flap I I-underlies the collar band I and is completely hidden thereby; I

It is preferred that the main areas of the collar band I, the neck band 3, and the flap I I be somewhat stiffened, and the extent of these stiffened areas is represented in Fig. l by dotted lines. As

will be clear to those skilled in the art, theparticular manner in which the collar assembly just described is fabricated may vary within wide limits, and the manner in which the stiffened areas are established will depend upon the particular mode of fabrication of the collar assembly. One method of fabrication which may. be employed comprises the use of. two identical pieces of fabric cut to the pattern shownin Fig. l and secured together. along their peripheries by a suitable stitched seam. If thismethod-is employed, the stiffened area may be established by provision of suitable bonding sheets between the two fabric layers in the areas to be stiffened.

Fig. 3 illustrates a cross section through the folded collar assembly shown in Fig. 2, when the method of fabrication just described is employed. Here, it, will be seen that the collar band I includes an outer fabric layer I a second fabric layer I and an intermediate stiffening layer I c bonding the two fabric layers together. Similarly, neck band 3 includes an outer fabric layer 3 a second fabric layer 3*, and an intermediate stiffening layer 3, while the flap I I comprises an outer fabric layer II, a second fabric layer II and an intermediate stiffener II. When such a method of construction is employed, the fabric elements I 3 and II may be integral, and the equivalent parts l 3* and II b may be integral, in which event the edge or fold line 2 may'constitute a continuous line of stitching. Similarly, that portion of the lower edge 8 of the collar band I operating as the fold line for the flap II may be a stitched line.

Regardless of the particular mode of construction employed, it is highly desirable, for purposes hereinafter explained, that the upper edge 2 of the collar band I be a continuous straight line over most of its length but curve upwardlyat its ends, as shown at 4 and 5 in Fig. 1. The stiffened areas in the collar band I and the neck band 3 should extend close to the upper edge 2, so that the edges of the stiffened area of, the neck band and the stiffened area of the collar band adjacent the upper edge 2 shall be closely spaced from, and parallel with, each other. When this is true, it will be seen that the upper edge 2 of the collar band may act as a welldefined fold line which is generally a straight line, but curves upwardly at its ends when the collar assembly is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

When the collar assembly is to be worn, the flap I I is folded upwardly about the curved lower edge 8 of the collar band I, as a fold line. "It will be noted that the edge 8 curves upwardly from the Wing points 9 and I0 0f the collar, and may be said to be concave, while the upper edge of the collar band is substantially a straight line. The materials from which collars are made are substantially non-elastic and, as has been previously discussed, collar assemblies of the type to which the present invention applies preferably embody large areas of stiffened fabric. Whether the ma-' terial of the collar assembly be stifiened or merely substantially non-elastic, it will be seen that, when the collar assembly is in the position shown in Fig. 2, any tendency of the lower edge 8 of the collar band I to contract will cause the wing points 9 and ID to be drawn out of the plane of the collar band. If the collar assembly is in the shape shown in Fig. 2, and is placed about the neck of the wearer, then any tendency of the lower edge 8 of the collar band to contract will cause the wing points 9 and II) to be drawn out of the curved plane of the collar, but in a direction toward the shirt front.

The flap I I, when provided in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, performs the function, when the collar assembly is secured about the neck of the wearer, of tensioning the upwardly arced lower edge or border 8 of the collar band I to draw the wing points 9 and I0 out of the plane of the collar band toward the shirt front. This action counteracts any tendency of the wings of the collar to curl outwardly, and makes unnecessary the use of mechanical collar clips and the like.

However, for the flap I I to perform its function in this manner, I have found that the lower edge 8 of the collar band must be upwardly curved, at least for the portion of that edge abutting or joining the flap II. Should the collar band be formed with a substantially straight lower edge, it will be found that the flap I I will not perform its function of tensioning the lower edge of the collar to control the points thereof. Should the lower edge of the collar band'be formed to curve downwardly from the collar'points; and thus be convex, it will be found that the flap II will tend to force the wings of the collar away from the shirt front.

Since the flap I I, when provided in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, tends to draw the collar points toward the shirt front, it is desirable that some means be provided to prevent the ends of the collar band from being drawn too tightly across the knot of the necktie when the collar assembly is being worn. For this reason, I prefer that the upper edge 2 of the collar band I be upwardly curved at its ends, as previously described. As best seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the curved portions Of the fold line or edge 2, as 1116i, cated at 4 and 5, provide a slight excess of material in the collar band at each end thereof. By reason of this excess of material, the tensioning effect of the flap II, when the collar is being worn, causes the collar band to roll evenly over the knot of the necktie. Thus, when the collar is being worn, there is a sharp fold along the line 2 for most of its length, but this sharpfold gradually increases in radius, through the length of the curved portions 4 and 5, so that the ends of the collar panel are not drawn too tightly against the necktie knot. v

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific configuration of this embodiment. Specifically, it will be understood that the lower edge 8 of the collar band *I may be somewhat diiferently curved. For example, the edge 8 may be gradually curved in the portion of the collar band near the center and slant down to the collar points 9 and II] along straight lines. Similarly, the flap I I may extend closer to the collar points 9 and It, or be shorter than-in the embodiment illustrated, depending upon the amount of tension desired. While'I have illustrated the flap I I as having ends which taper abruptly into the lower edge 8 of the collar band I, it is not necessary that the ends of the flap be so formed. The ends of the flap may, for example, take the form of straight lines arranged at a more acute angle to the edge 8 and even extending, if desired, to the wing points 9 and III of the collar. The flap II and the collar band I may be made separately and joined along the edge 8 by a continuous seam, or may be'integral, depending upon the particular method employed to fabricate the collar assembly. r

I claim:

1. In a collar assembly for shirts, the combination of a neckband, a collar band and a collar band tensioning flap, said collar band joining said neckband along a continuous fold line and terminating at each end in a downwardly directed collar point, and said flap joining said collar band between said points along a continuous upwardly curved fold line extending for a major portion of the length of said collar band and about which the flap may be folded to underlie said collar band and tension thelower edge portion of said collar band, when the collar is buttoned, to draw the collar points inwardly toward the wearer.

2. In a shirt collar of the type described, the combination of a neckband, a collar band and a collar band tensioning flap, said collar band joining said neckband along a continuous fold line and'terminating at each end in a downwardly directed collar point, and said flap being centered between said points and joining said collar band along an arcuate fold line extending for a major portion of the length of said collar band and curving upwardly from said points, said flap being adapted to be folded upwardly about said arcuate fold line to underlie said 001- lar band so that, when th collar is buttoned, the lower edge portion of said collar band is tensioned to prevent said collar points from curling outwardly.

3. In a shirt collar of the type described, the combination of a neckband, a collar band and a collar band tensioning flap, said collar band joining said neckband along a continuous fold line and terminating at each end in a downwardly directed collar point, said flap being centered between said points and joining said collar band along an upwardly curved fold line extending for a major portion of the length of said collar band, and said collar band and flap being uniformly stiffened throughout substantially their entire areas except at said upwardly curved fold line, said flap being adapted to be folded upwardly about said arcuate fold line to underlie said collar band so that, when the collar is buttoned, the lower edge portion of said collar band is tensioned to prevent said collar points from curling outwardly.

4. In a collar assembly for shirts, the combination of a neckband, a collar band and a collar band tensioning flap, said neckband joining said collar band along a fold line which is substantially straight over most of its length but curves away from said collar band adjacent the ends thereof, said collar band terminating at each end in a downwardly directed collar point and joining said flap along an arcuate fold line curved upwardly from said points and extending for a major portion of the length of said collar band, said flap being adapted to be folded upwardly about said arcuate fold line to underlie said collar band so that, when the collar is buttoned, the lower edge portion of the collar band is tensioned to prevent said collar points from curving outwardly.

5. In a shirt collar, assembly of the type described, the eombination of a neckband, a collar band terminating in a wing at each end and joining said neckband along a substantially straight fold line, and a continuous flap formed integrally with said collar band and arranged to fold upwardly, to underlie said collar band, about an arcuate fold line curving upwardly from the wings of said collar band and extending for a major portion of the length of said collar band, said flap being centered relative to the length of said collar band and serving to tension said collar band along said arcuate fold line, when the collar is buttoned, to urge the points of the wings ofthe collar inwardly toward the wearer.

JOSEPH W. LESS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the I file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

